Secret Shopping Tricks: When Is the Best Time to Shop to Save Thousands of Dollars

Did you know that you could be paying less for everything from food to electronics depending on the day of the week you choose to buy it? Of course, there are also ‘best seasons’ for certain items. Here are the timing tips and tricks that every smart shopper should know!

If you’re shopping online, Monday is your best day to look for deals. The main reason for this is that the online stores often decide on discounts at the beginning of the week. It’s first come first served, so if you get there later in the week, they may be out of stock.

If you can hold out until Black Friday that could be your best bet, but decide on the brand you’re looking for in advance. Big purchases should never be impulse buys. Sometimes, it’s worth paying more for a reliable item.

The month of March is also a good bet. The big consumer electronics trade show happens in January, and stores are wanting to stock the latest models price to almost anything.

Go and look at cars anytime you like, indicating your interest in certain models. Make it clear that you’re still shopping around and that you’ll have to think the price over. Leave your contact details. Most auto dealers will evaluate their week’s sales on a Monday, and if they’re not making the budget, they may call you up with a discount or incentive offer to clinch the deal.

If there’s going to be an increase in oil price, it will happen over the weekend, so fill up on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Of course, if the price is going to drop, you lose out, so monitor the news to see which way you can expect the gas price to go.

The majority of stores start preparing for the weekend on Thursdays, so they want to get the shelves cleared of certain items. They also want to sell food items while they are still good, so you can pick up some great specials on everything from meat to veg to cleaning agents.

Catching your grocery store just before closing can also be a good strategy. About an hour before closing, perishables such as bakery items are often priced to go. If there’s an advertised special, you want to take advantage of, the earlier in the morning you get to the store, the better. That way, you get first pickings before things start to sell out.

Farmers’ markets usually happen on Saturdays, and can be a great money saver, but all the savvy shoppers will be there as soon as the market opens. Get up early in the morning to get the best deals.

Reminder: Plan your menus and your shopping list and go to the grocery store as seldom as possible. The less often you go, the less unnecessary or luxury items you’re likely to buy. When it comes to fruit and veg, try to avoid out of season items since they are always more expensive.

The brilliant way of shopping for clothes is to choose items that don’t go out of style and buy them in midsummer and midwinter (but after Christmas).

The day after any significant holiday is often a good time to take advantage of flash sales, since retailers stock up for the big day, and then want to get the last items cleared so that they can restock. You can pick up great discounts, just search for online deals on coupons to save later.

If you are thinking about a special day of the week with that may have big discounts, the best place and time to find specials is midweek and retailers tend to make their offers available online. Most people shop for clothes from Friday on, so websites may decide to tempt casual weekday visitors with discounts to prompt a purchasing decision.

It seems that most of us only think about shopping for books on weekends, so that’s when most book sales start. If you want to be first in and grab the best books at discount prices, any day of the weekend from Friday on is a good time to look.

Shopping after holidays is always a good idea, but for the absolute best prices on furniture, shopping after Christmas has an added advantage. The stores want to get new items on the floor in spring, so they slash the prices of remaining stock.

That doesn’t mean you only get the stuff no-one else wants to buy. Remember that the showroom examples of all furniture are the last to go.

Glassware and China

As the wedding season kicks in early summer, a lot of sellers will offer discounts on these items. After all, everyone likes saving a couple of bucks on wedding gifts. This could be your opportunity to get a new dinner service at a bargain!

Nurseries need to make their stock before the winter sets in, so they’ll often hold big sales in autumn. And since autumn isn’t a bad planting season, you can get all the plants you need for less while missing the expensive spring rush.

The big makeup brands have collections for each season, so buying at the beginning of any season means paying top dollar. Choose a time towards the end of the season and select classic colors that match your complexion any time of the year.

All Kinds of Odds and Ends

When people spring clean in April and May, they sell off a lot of good stuff, either on Craigslist or at thrift shops, garage sales, and other second-hand stores. Cash in by being the first to see what they have to offer so that you can pick and choose the best bargains.

About the author

Irina Vasilescu

4 Comments

These are quite cool! And some are new to me. I like going to our Superstore before they close, that is when the discount rack is full. They sell fruits, sweets and breads on that rack so it is a nice way to get 50% of more off on items.

I will never buy a car on a first visit, because the salesman won’t try as hard to get you to buy, as they think that you are definitely going to make the purchase – which might not be true at all. It is certainly worth playing it cool and coming back later if they don’t get in touch with a better deal for you. You don’t have anything to lose, but you might just be able to get a deal if they need to get their sales up for the week.

The ideas in this article are great. To avoid making instant purchases, I sometimes leave my debit/credit card at home; visit the malls, window shop and by so doing I am able to prepare for the next sale.

I particularly love the idea of leaving contacts at the dealer or at the mall so that any new deals/discounts/promotions will be communicated in an instant.

I totally agree that identifying the right season to make a purchase gives you the best deal at all times.

I purchase all my meat when it’s discounted. I tend to go on a Tuesday evening as the supermarket I like to get my meat from is less busy. I can fill my freezer for £30.00 (around 50 bucks) with GOOD meat, much of it organic.